OK - I spent the weekend working with a Skin Cancer Screening unit, and we had discussion over meals in the evening. When someone asked why I wasn't drinking - discussion of course turned to MTX and PsA.
Now these experts asked what my Vitamin D levels are. When I said I am taking 5000 IU /day and it didn't seem to be making a difference to my levels I was hit with a barrage of information.
It seems that as I am a "bigger" girl, and Vitamin D is a fat soluable vitamin, that the doses I am taking are not going anywhere where I need them. They suggest a one off "loading dose" of 100,000 IU then 4-5,000 IU per day to maintain, and to try and keep my levels around the 70 - 100 range, rather than in the gutter where they are now.
Discussion please - because this sounds like it makes sense to me.
I have also been lectured (by colleagues) about vitamin D. I don't know what good it does, but I mega-dose this. Its my only supplement aside from folic acid. I do my 20 minutes 3 times a week in a tanning bed (with sunblock) - an old model so I can do the longer time. It helps with my mood, and bone aches, but I never looked to see if it supports vitamin d levels.
I do not take any supplements besides what my Dermatologist suggests. I tried vitamin D in the past and it caused my psoriasis to flare. My dermatologist said that it’s common for your psoriasis to flare with small dose. He suggested I not take vitamin D.
I know there is evidence to support vitamin d supplementation with arthritis, I just don’t remember what it is and I’m too lazy to look it up this week! I am also to cheap to pay out of pocket to have the labs drawn to confirm that I am low. I just assume that I’m low like most adults, and keep taking the capsules.
It was one of my favorite doctors from work who recommended taking D, and he also helped me with my diet a lot when I was switching to FODMAPS diet.
sybil said:
Once when I was at hospital for rheumy appointment, I got chatting to someone whose partner had just been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis & asked if he’d been prescribed Mtx or whatever. She said that the rheumy had decided to hold back on the DMARDs as her partner’s Vit D levels were so low and instead were going to try Vitamin D supplements first to see if that made a big difference.
Well I accept that Vitamin D shortage is highly unlikely to cause PsA & nor is Vit D a cure … but as the rheumy dept. is not exactly a hot bed of alternative medicine this really made an impression on me. I figured that Vitamin D must be accepted within conventional rheumatology medicine as very important one way or another. I went home and commenced some serious sunbathing (as cautiously as needs be on the Welsh border i.e. not very). I do feel that the sun helps my overall health considerably and in fact the only little patch of Psoriasis I’ve had in recent years healed up as soon as I exposed it to the sun … but I know that others find that the opposite applies.
GrumpyCat said:
I have also been lectured (by colleagues) about vitamin D. I don’t know what good it does, but I mega-dose this. Its my only supplement aside from folic acid. I do my 20 minutes 3 times a week in a tanning bed (with sunblock) - an old model so I can do the longer time. It helps with my mood, and bone aches, but I never looked to see if it supports vitamin d levels.
This is what I've learned about Vitamin D during my years as a breastfeeding counselor (where it's talked about A LOT, and I've been to classes/conferences learning from MDs) and working with my doctors to solve my VIt. D deficiency: Vitamin D is not just important in people with arthritis, but in ALL people who live in places where they don't get enough vitamin D via sun exposure (so that would be anyone who doesn't live near the equator!). Supplementation with D3 (not D2) is recommended for most people - and for anyone with low levels of Vitamin D. The bioavailability of the supplement should be taken into consideration, as some supplements are much more bioavailable than others. Supplementation should be done under a doctor's care, and levels should be monitored. If high-dose supplementation / sunlight therapy doesn't have an effect, then the reason it's not being absorbed should be investigated (kidney issues, Chrons, Celiac, etc.).
Thanks Guys - I appreciate the help. I am going to see my GP Thursday, because like most of you I don't believe in unsupported alternative therapy. I plan to get baseline bloods done Thursday and then see what this does. I will keep you updated
I was just at my Rheumy today for a follow up on my baseline x-rays and blood bio-marker numbers. She said I was very low in Vitamin D, and prescribed me a 10,000 IU dose for 12 weeks, then 2,000 IU does to maintain the stores.
Prescription supplements are really the way to go. That way you are sure of what your are getting. Like I said, I’m a little cavalier about it, but it is worth looking into with your docs. It’s difficult to get he numbers up even with supplementation.
Since I just got my vit D levels checked and they were found to be 13, which is deficient apparently, I am on a prescription strength supplement I take twice a week. I've done some reading and found that vitamin d is in beef liver, eggs (with yolk), and supplemented milk products. So I guess I'll be eating more eggs.
Also read that you need 45 minutes of sun exposure for your body to process enough vit d UNLESS you live in the northern half of the States or in a very cloudy area. Then it could be more. Also, apparently, if you have a bowel disorder such as celiac you might not absorb D very well. And if you have a kidney dysfunction, your body might not be able to break it down right.
I knew I was at a high risk for low D working nights but dang.
I know exactly what you are talking about my level was 8 very low. I also work mostly nights and my vit D dose is 50,000 per week. I have been on it for a month and have noticed significant improvement,
Here is what I have been told...eveyone in my latitude is short on Vitamin D, it wouldn't matter how much you sunned. I don't think that tanning bed exposure has much to do with Vitamin D levels. I don't know about that. I do know that tanning beds can lead to skin cancer, and having three basel cell carcinomas cut off me, I can only imagine how it would be if I had ever used a tanning bed. I take 2500 IU of vitamin D daily, and I did not have low vitamin D last time my blood was checked. My doctor says I probably should take calcium supplements, but he frankly told me that they were a lot more concerned about the vitamin D than the calcium at this point. My bone density tests are the same as they were three years ago, and about normal for a woman of my age and medical history. The TNF inhibitors help with the bone density, so I have been told.
